The athletes had initially been banned from competing internationally following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) has given the inexperienced mild to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes within the video games subsequent yr as neutrals.
Russian and Belarusian athletes who qualify of their sport for the Paris 2024 Olympics will be capable of participate with out flags, emblems or anthems, exterior of staff occasions and so long as they don’t actively assist the battle in Ukraine, the IOC mentioned on Friday.
The athletes had initially been banned from competing internationally following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however have since been progressively allowed again as impartial athletes in most sport.
The IOC mentioned eight Russians and three Belarusians are amongst 4,600 athletes worldwide who’ve to this point certified for the Summer season Video games, which open in July.
They’ll solely be allowed to compete in particular person sports activities and no groups for the 2 international locations will likely be allowed to take part in Paris.
Greater than 60 Ukrainian athletes have certified for subsequent yr’s Paris Olympics. A complete of about 11,000 athletes will participate within the video games subsequent yr.
Athletes and officers from Ukraine, together with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have repeatedly urged the IOC to exclude Russia and Belarus totally.
Nonetheless, representatives of worldwide sports activities federations and nationwide Olympic committees had referred to as for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be admitted beneath a impartial flag “as soon as possible”.
Ukraine’s Sport Minister Matviy Bidnyi informed the AFP information company upfront of the choice on Thursday that Kyiv was involved the transfer seemed that the IOC “does not want to demonstrate the necessary leadership in the matter of Olympic fairness and justice”.
“As aptly stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky: ‘Obviously, any neutral flag of Russian athletes is stained with blood,’” mentioned Bidnyi.
“When there is a war and one nation with its passports is destroying another nation, then ‘neutrality’ becomes irresponsibility,” he mentioned, including that giving up their Russian passport was “the only possible way today for an athlete to prove Olympic excellence is his first priority”.
Earlier this yr, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the IOC of utilizing the video games as a type of “ethnic discrimination”.